with Martha Rogers

Welcome to Patterings, Martha! You've been an encouragement and inspiration to many of us. Thank you!Tell us about your epiphany moment when you decided you were going to seriously pursue writing and eventually publication.I don’t remember any specific moment because I just submitted some articles and devotionals and they were accepted. I had been writing fiction and decided to join American Christian Fiction Writers and learn more about it.

Which of your books (published or upcoming) has been the most fun for you to write and which character is your favorite? The most fun was an historical that is a fictionalized account of my great-grandfather’s journey back home after he was released from a northern prison camp at the end of the Civil War. I loved doing the research and finding out more about my father’s family.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?Procrastination and being disorganized are really stumbling blocks for me. I haven’t overcome the organization bit, but I impose deadlines upon myself so I won’t keep putting things off.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?There have been several, including changing clothes with my best friend who was much like me in appearance and fooling people for almost two hours before someone noticed we’d done it. I did a lot of quirky things in college, but we won’t get into that.

Are there things you put off doing because you dread them?Oh, yes. Cleaning house. Since I retired, I realize I don’t have to keep my house spotless. It gets a good, thorough cleaning every few months and spot cleaning of bathrooms and kitchen more often.

What would a perfect day for you look like? Sunshine, moderate temperatures and a chance to sit on my deck and just write or visit with my grandchildren.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I pretty much like all genres except Sci-Fi and fantasy.

Which character in your new release most interested you while you wrote?I grew really fond of Aunt Clara. She wasn’t even in the original synopsis, but in the middle of the story, she popped in. She’s straight forward and is very protective of family and she’s wise.

Are there spiritual themes you like to write about? My tag line is “Touching hearts…changing lives." With that in mind, most of my books deal with reconciliation and forgiveness either man to man or man to God.

What lesson is the Lord teaching you right now or recently taught you? He’s been teaching me patience and perseverance for the past few years.

When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?Book 2 in the series, Morning for Dove, will be released in late April, 2010. It carries on the characters with Luke Anderson and Dove Morris being the key ones. Dove is half-Cherokee, but because of Mrs. Anderson’s horrendous experience in an Indian massacre as a child, Dove and Luke face discrimination and hatred that thwarts their relationship. Again it is a story of forgiveness and reconciliation of hearts to each other, and hearts to God.

Now, because I forgot to post this yesterday, here's the book trailer for Becoming Lucy.

Martha is giving away a copy of Becoming Lucy. To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment and check back on Sunday, January 24th to see if you've won. You can enter twice--once on each post in this spotlight. If you want to guarantee that you're notified if you win, then leave your email address in the comment, otherwise, you can just check back and email me through the button in my sidebar.**Annoying little disclaimer: This giveaway is open only to U.S. addresses. By clicking on the Amazon link above or in the sidebar, and purchasing, I will receive a very small percentage of the sale.

Since Patty quit running from God's call on her life and surrendered her pen to Him, she's been happy. Life is never dull as she juggles being a wife, mom to a handful of kids and a couple of Capuchin monkeys, life on the road, and being a writer. As long as she's obeying God's leading, she figures that sanity is a novelty and not a necessity in the zoo she lives in. Patty clings to the promise that God will enable her to do what He asks of her, otherwise she would be living with the scaredy cats at the Funny Farm and not just occasionally visiting. You can find her on Instagram, too, where she daily sneaks in a few sane moments.